Steyn targets another WC, could cut short Bangladesh tour

Dale Steyn has suggested he may not be available for the full duration of South Africa's next international assignment, against Bangladesh in July, as he tries to manage his workload with one eye on appearing at another World Cup.

"At this stage of my career, I'd rather be saving myself to go and participate in the major tournaments, rather than wasting the few balls I have left in my career in a Bangladesh match," Steyn said in an interview with Wisden India.

"I'd rather go to Bangladesh to help and support future South African bowlers, and use what is left of the 10,000 or 20,000 deliveries that I have in my body for the big tournament. That's where I'm at personally. But at the beginning of my career, I would have done everything. I would have gone every tournament and to every place. But I've done it all now."

Steyn, who has been playing international cricket for a decade, has competed against all nine Test teams he could have faced. He maintains that Test cricket is the format he wants to "play a lot more," in, especially because, at 31, he considers his days "numbered."

In the same time period, Steyn has been less prolific in limited-overs cricket. He has featured in two fifty-over World Cups and four World T20s but been rested from several other series as South Africa sought to keep him fresh. As his career reaches its twilight years, Steyn said that trend will continue because he placed greater value on major tournaments than bilateral series.

"It might sound very cocky or naïve of me, or self-centered, but I want to win a World Cup for my country. And they only come around once every four years. If you're playing in the Twenty20 World Cup, luckily they come around every second year," he said. "So with all due respect to places like Bangladesh or Zimbabwe, going and playing three ODIs in Bangladesh does nothing for my confidence as opposed to knowing that I'm going to a World Cup"

That could leave South Africa without several senior players for their two T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests against Bangladesh. Apart from Steyn, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy and Morne Morkel could all miss some part of the series as all three are expecting the birth of their first children around the time of the tour, which could present an opportunity for the team to blood some new players.

Marchant de Lange and Kagiso Rabada are among the fast bowlers coming through who may get a chance in Bangladesh, where they will work under a new coach. Allan Donald decided not to seek a renewal of his contract after the World Cup which has left a vacancy among the management team. His replacement, expected to be Charl Langeveldt, will be announced in early June. Steyn has also offered to travel as a mentor.

South Africa will also have a new Test opener following the retirement of Alviro Petersen in January. Stiaan van Zyl, Cobras' left-hander who scored a century on Test debut, is in line to fill that role. The new-look South African outfit could also see two spinners in a Test XI, with Dane Piedt and Simon Harmer both expected to make the trip, while Aaron Phangiso should get some game time in shorter formats after spending the World Cup on the sidelines.